'He lives for these important matches': McCall heaps praise on Farrell

Owen Farrell was singled out for praise by Saracens boss Mark McCall as Ealing were outclassed 60-0 in the first leg of the Greene King IPA Championship at Vallis Way.

Farrell finished with 18 points but it was the England captain’s generalship and vision in attack that really stood out as Saracens stood on the brink of an immediate return to the Gallagher Premiership having been relegated for salary cap breaches.

Billy Vunipola crossed twice while all five of the club’s British and Irish Lions emerged unharmed from an eight-try mismatch played out in blazing heat in west London.

“Owen was amazing. His game was exceptional. He lives for these important matches and significant games. I thought he was magnificent,” McCall said.

“His leadership…..you could see the way he led in the changing room before the game and at half-time. He’s been like that all week.

“We were right at it from the beginning and although it was only 10-0 after 17 or 18 minutes, we were putting them under pressure, denting them, and eventually that always tells.

“What’s most pleasing is how we kept at it all the way through. When we went 30 or 40 points up, we felt like everything mattered, like every play mattered.

“In that heat to score like we did, it just says a lot about our playing group.”

The second leg takes place at StoneX Stadium on Sunday and McCall insists only an outbreak of coronavirus can now stop Saracens from reclaiming their place in the Premiership.

“We’ve got to be Covid-free next week, God knows what would happen if we’re not. Hopefully this scoreline would dictate what happens,” McCall said.

“But we’ve wanted and waited for this opportunity for many months and we were determined to take the opportunity and dictate from the get go.”